When it Falls
by Gamerguy36
Summary: Taking place after the Fall of Beacon, Jaune changed to a cruel and depressed warrior after witnessing Pyrrha's untimely demise. He joins his friends as they fight to avenge her death against Cinder. In the meantime, the raging war is just beginning between Remnant and the White Fang.
1. The Day the World Ended

**Hello! This is my first fic I've written, and I think it's gonna be real nice. Kinda have a plan for the future, but it is subject to change. I hope you enjoy it!**

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Chapter 1: The Day the World Ended

* * *

"I'm sorry."

"PYRRHA! Wait!"

Jaune's words never reached her, as he was shoved into a locker and blasted into Vale. He couldn't understand what was going on. Pyrrha had just confessed her undying love for him moments before, yet she let him go and ran to the tower. 'Why would she do that?' he pondered. 'Why would she chance her luck against Cinder?' He knew she could win. She just had too! 'She was the most powerful huntress I've ever met, even surpassing Ruby for God's sake! She just ha-'

His thoughts were cut short by the crash landing of the locker and a blunt blow to the back of the head. He was unconscious under a pile of rubble in the God forsaken locker that sent him there. Meanwhile, the rest of the student's fought to save themselves and the school, all while he was stuck in the locker.

He opened his eyes and was back at the dorm rooms in Beacon. He was in his dorm, the one he shared with his team he gathered after he took a quick look at the walls to see Ren's books lining a shelf, Nora's endless dents in the wall from her wild nature, and his own poster of X-Ray and Vav, two heroes from his beloved comic series. The one thing he didn't see were Pyrrha's trophies from past championships. None of her things lined the desk the team shared. None of her dust rounds next to Stormflower's. Nothing was there that resembled her. Not even a shred of cloth from her attire.

Next thing he knew, he couldn't breathe, but he wasn't dreaming anymore. He tried to catch a faint gust of air that filled his dreams, but there was none. He wailed on the locker until it broke open and rocks began to fall onto him. He was buried in rubble, but he kept pushing until he broke free into the open world, catching a deep breath as he rose to the surface. It was still night. 'How long was I out? An hour maybe?'

A moment past, and when he came to the realization of the events before his premature burial and the wicked dream he just endured, he began to cry. He reached for his scroll and went to call Pyrrha, but to no avail. Panic rose inside of him as he frantically called the next person on his mental list.

"WEISS!" he screamed as the receiver clicked. "I need you to find her!"

"What?! I'm kinda busy here, Jaune!" the annoyed girl responded.

"Find Pyrrha! She's in trouble and needs help! She went to fight Cinder alone!"

"Jaune! Shut up and cal-"

"NOW! PLEASE! DON'T LET HER DIE!"

He fell to the ground, sobbing as he threw his scroll away. He couldn't help her. He was utterly useless. He was a failure of a leader to let his own team member risk their life like that. He was a failure of a person to let someone he knew and cared about run off to die. His optimism was a facade to hide his true negativity and self-cruelty. She was his source, and she could feel her dissipating into the wind like dust. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do. He gripped Crocea Mors and ran towards the tower to face his enemy.

* * *

"What was he yelling about, Weiss? Is he ok?" the young leader asked as she cut down her foe before her.

"I-I don't know. He was asking us to help save Pyrrha from Cinder, but didn't say where," the heiress mumbled to the girl as they came back-to-back against the endless waves of Grimm that came from the Dragon that now stood atop of the tower the two were trying to get to as the destroy such a vile creature.

A loud crash came to their ears as they saw the tower break apart at the top, showing the fight that was occurring above. They eyed a girl of fire and devastation challenging another of speed and ferocity. Once they laid eyes on the latter, they looked at each other and nodded, as if discussing a plan of attack, and Ruby made a break to the base of the tower as Weiss formed the proper glyphs to make it possible to ascend. Ruby began to run up the tower as she heard another set of steps behind her. She continued forward, assuming the steps were her partners, as she cleared the distance between her and the top.

Ruby leapt to the top, readying her weapon only to see her beloved friend get shot in the heart by Cinder. She began to tear up, shocked at the scene in front of her, only to see a yellow blur across her vision that made way to the victor. A voice pierced her ears; the battle-cry could only belong to one person. 'No, don't do it, Jaune!' Ruby screamed internally.

* * *

'This is the end, isn't it?' Jaune thought as he swung at Cinder with all that he had, catching her by surprise, but not quick enough for her. The women dodged and delivered a powerful blow to his side as she did, ejecting him from the ground. He felt the air fly by like a wisp as he came to a sudden halt against the wall next to his friend. He got up, wincing at the flaming pain as he made for her again and jumped forward, swinging horizontally. He met steel and braced his feet to the ground as he tried to swing with his shield, again to be met by steel. Overpowering him, the woman thrust him to the ground hard enough to roll him back to where he was.

"Oh? Did I kill your friend, Arc? I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but she tried to steal something that didn't belong to her. She sealed her own fate."

Jaune couldn't believe it. "Pyrrha…" he quietly called out at her lifeless body. He had failed in the end. He couldn't save anyone. Not even himself. He looked to his friend, then back to Cinder. "You won't get away with this. I'll kill you myself!"

Cinder lurched over him like a wolf stalking its prey, then kicking his side as he tried to stand. She held her hands out as to call back her bow. Out of thin air, it came to her and she cocked her arrow as she whispered, "Your hope is nothing more than a shattered mirror, scattered and non-cohesive. I can promise you this, however. You can't escape your fate."

Just before the arrow flew to his chest, he turned to his fellow leader as she was filling up with tears. The arrow flew. "I-I'm sorry, Ruby. I failed as a leader and there's nothing more I can do. Save yourself," he said as his world was filled with a silver light.

"JAUNE!"

~-~ 2 months later ~-~

After the events of that day, the White Fang waged war against the world of Remnant, as they failed to defeat Cinder and Beacon fell. Vale was mostly under the control of the Fang as they pushed for Atlas. They met little resistance they couldn't dispatch easily, as the world's military power was outmatched. Once they made their way to Atlas, who knows what they'd be able to do, but Jaune wouldn't allow it. It was the beginning of Winter when he departed on his mission with Ruby, Ren, and Nora to avenge the destruction of Beacon, to avenge those who were wounded or killed in the bloodshed, and to avenge their fallen friend.

Although the rest still had lingering emotions towards those events, Jaune seemed to be past it all, fearlessly leading the charge into every encounter, whether it be with Grimm or the White Fang as if it were nothing. He never showed any emotion to anyone, for he felt none. He was a soulless vessel that would stop at nothing to claim a victory. A battle-hardened warrior.

"Jaune, buddy pal, how are you doing today?" Ruby asked as she woke her leader up from his short rest. She was always happy around him, hoping to comfort him and bring his emotions forward, but it was fruitless. He was never emotional, not anymore at least. She wanted her friend back, bubbly and fun, not this emotionless shadow that stood in his wake.

"I'm fine, Ruby," he yawned. It was now around five in the morning and they would depart from their camp soon. They had been close to the northern crest on Vale, only a few days walk away. They needed to press on as to stop the Fang. "Are the other's up yet?" he asked as he sat up in his sleeping bag.

"Yeah, they are. Ren and Nora are making pancakes again! I don't know where they're getting the ingredients, but they are amazing!" the cheerful girl chirped as Jaune got up, smiling as wide as she could. The smile swiftly drifted away as he got up and got his share of food and ate without saying a single word, going to his lonesome. Another morning in Remnant for JRRN. Nora was even troubled by this new version of Jaune, as she had given up on him, leaving Ren and Ruby to sort it out. Then again, Ren was always pretty quiet, so he was out too. Sure they wanted to help, but it wouldn't change anything. She was the only one on this quest to help Jaune.

"So what'd'ya dream about last night?" she started, hoping to spark a conversation.

"..."

"Jaune, come on, try to talk to me a bit..."

"..."

"Jaune, you need to open up abou-"

"Ruby, just stop! I know you want to help, but frankly, I don't need help! I'm doing just fine on my own!"

That was the first time he had ever snapped at her like that. He usually just ignored her or answered simply with an 'I don't want to talk about it.' Who was this person in front of her? She didn't know this person anymore. Just a shadow, filled with darkness and void of all light.

She began to sob a bit, eventually breaking down in a wet mess of tears. She couldn't do this anymore. She'd been trying for so long to help bring back the old Jaune, but now she was just done. As she began to collect herself, she did something else that would also be a first.

She slapped him.

She slapped her leader.

She slapper her friend.

He looked down at her with his dead face. She looked like a wreck, pulling at strings to make things work. He continued to stare at her for a short while as she got up and walked back to the group. Ren and Nora witnessed the whole scene, but chose not to say anything.

A few minutes later, he regrouped with his party and said, "We leave camp in twenty minutes, guys. Pack up and get ready to roll out."

* * *

After a dozen miles of walking, several hours later, still not a word from the group. Ren had been silent as usual, just enduring the daily journey forward, Nora hummed to herself as she skipped down the path, and Ruby mindlessly walked with them. She usually talked with the other two teens while they treked, but not today. She was distraught about the events that morning and instead kept to herself, letting the occasional tear leave her eye.

"Hold up. Do you hear that?"

Ren's words were spoken almost too soon. From the forest around them, Grimm came towards them. A small skirmish would definitely take place, given the numbers. At least 5 Beowolves and an Ursa were surrounding them, blocking the ranks that stood behind them. Maybe a dozen or so stood around the group.

Jaune was the first one to attack, slicing a Beowulf in two. Ren gave Nora covering fire as she hammered the few in front of them into the air with a single swing. Ruby extended Crescent Rose and severed the lives of two in a single blow, only to be struck by an Ursa right behind the smaller Grimm, sending her to the ground.

"Get up Ruby. We can't afford to be down a member." Jaune ordered. He never asked for them to do anything, only commanded them like soldiers.

She got up swiftly and eyed the Ursa swinging at her side. She pointed her weapon downwards and fired, sending her flying upwards, severing the Grimms jaw from his skull. She quickly swung horizontal to finish off the foe, removing its head from its shoulders. As she landed, she looked around, only to be faced with even more Grimm. Where were they coming from?

Jaune watched her as he stabbed an Ursa's heart. She was losing it! She was getting slower and slower as the Grimm kept coming. She was losing hope, and he could see it. He finished off the Ursa, throwing it to the side, and ran towards her. His shield came over her as his sword tore through the abdomen of the Beowulf to her left. They needed a plan and fa-

His thought was shortened by a high-pitched scream followed by a mass falling on top of him. Ruby? He looked down and saw her head resting in his lap. She was still yelling and then he saw it. She had been stabbed in the side by a Beowulf's claw.

He got up and quickly threw her over his shoulder and shield-charged the remaining Grimm out of his way, followed by his other teammates. They put their weapons away and ran along the path. Not to far was an old fort made during the Great War fought over a century ago. They ran for it, seeking refuge within its battlements. As they closed the gates to the inside and moved to a safe location, Jaune laid Ruby down. The wound didn't look fatal, but it would if it festered for too long on their journey. She needed to be bandaged quick if she were to recover in the next few days.

"Bandages."

"Got it. I'll get some medication while I'm at it." Ren rummaged through his pack, pulling out some cloth and medication for the young girl. Jaune took them and began wrapping her torso tightly for pressure, resulting in a loud, horrific screech come from the girl. He promptly put his hand over her mouth as to not call attention to their location. After wrapping her up, he pulled out his water and offered it and the medicine to Ruby. Painkillers and sleeping pills were all they had, and neither were too strong.

"Take this Ruby, it'll make you feel better."

It wasn't until he gave her the meds that he saw it. A figure that was lurking in the background, watching over them. He'd seen it before, but it was hooded and remained in the shadows. It looked back towards them and before he knew it, it was gone.

Ignoring the sight, he looked at his group. They were battered and needed rest. "Let's call it a day and rest here until dawn. Ren, go see if you can gather some firewood. Nora, see about further fortifications. Don't want any strays to find their way in."

* * *

Ruby was asleep, painfully wheezing as she breathed due to her wound. Ren and Nora were talking around the campfire. Jaune was leaning against a wall, about ten yards from the group. He slipped further into the fort, making sure he remained unnoticed.

After he found a good spot away from the group, he sat down and rested on his own. He never liked staying near the group. It reminded him of the past too much, which he rejected from his thoughts, leaving it in the corner of his mind at all times.

He closed his eyes and thought about what his mission, his journey, meant. Was it to avenge a fallen friend? Or was it to help himself achieve self-actualization by skipping all the necessary steps? He didn't know anymore. He just knew that Cinder couldn't get away with what she had done. He felt anger seep into his vision, going into a fiery blur at the thought.

He felt a presence behind him. As he stood, his vision returned, all that anger retreating. Thinking about how he was going to approach this figure behind him, he clenched his fist firmly. A fight was out. He couldn't raise any suspicion from his team. Calmly, he unclenched his fist and addressed the being. "We have a lot to talk about, don't we, Qrow?"

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 **Well that's the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Leave comments and reviews for questions, concerns, or compliments!**


	2. Mirror Mirror

**Hey, y'all. I read over my first chapter a lot and then decided to make chapter two more...revised. But other than that, I will be updating every 2 weeks or so, maybe shorter, maybe longer. It's all relative on what's going on in the story.**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: Mirror Mirror

The smell of stale liquor and the sound of it swooshing down the man's throat confirmed his suspicions, only to be met with the sight of cold steel at his neck. Jaune stood still as to not alarm the assailant, only raising his suspicions even more. 'Why is his sword on my neck?' Jaune thought to himself. What had he done? He hadn't done anything to provoke him, did he? He helped his niece start recovery from her injury just hours ago!? Why was he angry with him!?

"It's not because of what you did, but what you could have done!" Qrow responded in a drunken fury of mumbled words. "You just put them down, not even caring about them. Not even caring about yourself." Could he read minds? Or is it a genius when he's drunk?

"Who says I don't care about them? What would make you say such a thing? They get plenty of rest and food, more than the General is giving his men! They get taken care of!" Jaune was getting fed up with this argument, shown in his voice. He didn't want to fight. It would draw too much attention, and the last thing he wanted was to be caught by Ruby as he fought her uncle.

"I don't want to hear that bullshit. You are an emotional slob. You yell at your own team when they just try to ask you abou- Umph!" Qrow was interrupted by a jab from the boy's elbow to his abdomen. "Too far, old man." Jaune took the chance to break out of the man's guard and ready his own weapon.

"This is what I'm talking about, you idiot! You won't talk about that day! You won't ask about how they feel about it! You never even asked Ruby about her own thoughts on Pyrrha's death! Because you're weak!" Jaune lunged at Qrow with his blade, slashing down diagonally at the boy.

*Clang*

Jaune met Qrow's sword inches from his face, then kicking at the man's leg in an attempt to knock him down, but missed due to his opponent's speed. Swords retreated only to be met again, moments later, with more ferocity. Clashing swords sounding of thunder continued. Slowing down, Jaune was struck on his shield, sending him to the ground.

"You don't know the pain of keeping this team grounded! If we discussed the past, it'll weaken us!"

"Maybe, but then you would evolve into a strong pact! A pact forged in the fires of battle! That's what a leader must do to keep themselves together! To keep their team together!" he yelled down at the boy as he stepped away.

After a few minutes of shaky breaths and silence, he calmed down, holding his hand out to his fallen comrade. "You can't give up anymore, kid. You have to be a team, not a squadron. You have to be a leader, not a commander. You have to be a friend, not a stranger. Trust me, in the end, it's the best option."

He helped the boy up from the ground, sheathing his weapon, and sitting on a broken piece of the stone wall surrounding them. "Come here, kid. Let me tell you a story," he said, letting a stray tear leave his eye. Jaune was hesitant, however the offer seemed genuine enough. He sheathed his blade and set beside the man as he told the story.

~-~ Twelve years ago ~-~

"You ready, Summer?"

"Let's go."

Qrow and Summer left from Taiyang's house in Patch for Mistral to the east. There was a small fishing town on the coast that needed some help with some pesky aquatic Grimm stealing their catch. The mission was supposed to take around a week or two, mostly travel. With a five year old Yang and a three year old Ruby, Taiyang had his hands full. They agreed to take this mission as a duo and let him stay at home with his kids. They always said parent bonding was important.

The Bullhead was ready for take off as the hunters boarded. Punctual as always. The ride would be around sixteen hours, landing a hundred miles from the town; the closest LZ was so far due to the mountains surrounding the village, making the trip another day each way. So in all, a lot of traveling.

"This is going to be so fun! I haven't been to Mistral in forever!" the white-hooded Summer Rose squeaked. She was so hyper, all of the time. Ever since their first year at Beacon, she had been a nuisance, but at the same time, charmingly cute and well-mannered. For being only twenty-six, what was expected? She was in her prime, so to speak.

"Don't get too excited. We're on a mission, not a vacation. Do try to remember that." Qrow didn't hate the girl, but she was too hyper for him. He may have had a sist- 'No. Don't think about her. She left us. She left me. Alone.' Qrow was a wreck after she disappeared, but in the end, it was probably for the best. The team kept on fighting over some Faunus Rights group or something. Nothing that really interested him, but his sister surely did, leaving her own team for them. He kept to himself, mastering the fighting games on his scroll to his fullest extent. 'One day it'll be useful' he thought back then. Now it's just fun to kick Taiyang's ass.

"I know, but the Oum Lagoons are so pretty! The way the forest's swinging bridges lie just inches above them! So majestic!" She was a lost cause.

"Fine, we'll see them IF we have the luxury to. Aquatic Grimm aren't the easiest of foes." It was usually easier to just go along with her antics than fight them, because no matter how stubborn you were, her puppy-dog eyes always yearned for a winning vote.

The Bullhead took off with some loud turbulence. It was normal, but never settled with him well. He always prefered either train or to walk. Summer seemed to have no trouble with it whatsoever, dangling her feet from her chair, humming the tune to her favorite song. She was so happy, nothing could break her mood.

'This is gonna be a long ride.'

* * *

After landing, Qrow made a beeline for the only trashcan in sight. 'I freaking hate flying!' He thought as he emptied his stomach into the unfortunate can. After popping a few mints, he headed back to find Summer already making her way to the gift shop. "Summer!" he called. She turned with her confused and scared face, eyes so large you could fit an elephant in them. "We can buy something for the kids on our way back. Don't want to ruin the gifts, now do we?"

She sighed and looked at the ground as she walked over to him. She stopped but a few inches from him, and placed her head on his chest. "Is it bad that I don't want to do this anymore? Go away from home to work dangerously away from my children?" she questioned softly, as if to herself.

Qrow calmly put his hand on her head and massaged it, quietly whispering "No, it isn't. Being a parent….nothing I would know anything about, but if it were up to me, I'd stay at home as much as possible. They always need a mother to console with, especially when they become teenagers..." He trailed off, looked down at the woman in his chest, glaring daggers at him. After a moment, the two began to laugh hysterically after thinking about what Taiyang would do to these innocent beings.

"We must spare them from Taiyang's stupidity," he loudly said, trying not to laugh himself to death.

"Agreed," she chuckled.

After a long moment, Qrow began to yawn. "Soooo…..where are we gonna sleep tonight? You brought the money from the table, right?"

"..."

"RIGHT!?"

"..."

Great. What a wonderful start to their mission.

* * *

A few days later, they arrived at the village at around noon, only to find it abandoned and barren of any and all sense of livelihood. Where was everyone? The houses were covered in moss and vines, as if they weren't lived in for decades, some even falling apart.

Qrow and Summer looked at each other in absolute shock.

"What happened here? Where is everyone? When did this all happen?" Summer kept stammering questions on and on after that, but no answers could be given. This place...why had they been sent here? To a place that was destroyed? Were their survivors? Doubtful, but it was a start. Qrow notioned Summer to stop and to set out to look for survivors. A small village like this would only take two or three days to fully search every nook and cranny. Might as well take advantage of the time.

The first house on the left was tall and made of brick, making it a bit more suited as a shelter. He entered the house slowly, trying not to make too much noise so he didn't alarm any and all possible beings dwelling within. With his sword raised, he entered every room, looked in every closet, and under all the beds. Nothing. Not even a scrap of food. The second story would work nicely as a shelter, so after moving bookcases and sealing all windows upstairs, he went back down to work on another house.

"Summer, this is Qrow, do you copy?" he said into the receiver of his scroll, making sure it was on walkie-talkie mode.

"I copy, Qrow. This place looks like it was abandoned ages ago. If there were any survivors, it'd be a miracle," Summer's voice crackled over the scroll. "I've been through a couple of smaller houses and the most I could find was an old radio. Did you have any better luck, by chance?"

"Yea, a shelter. The first house on the left as you enter the village has a solid brick setting, so I fashioned the upstairs into a little base. If we find some blankets, we can lay low comfortably tonight. The sea is sure to bring in a lot of cold air."

"Roger that, Qrow. I'll get looking for some in a-." Click. The receiver clicked off for some reason. "Summer, you copy?...Summer?" Qrow began to get uneasy, evolving quickly into hysteria.

"Summer! Where are you?" Silence answered his question. She wasn't that far away, was she? Maybe a block or two? 'Ah hell, Summer. What did you do know'

Just then, a loud crash came to his ears, and he looked in the direction it came from. An old grocery three blocks away had its windows shattered and a Grimm was standing outside of it. Was it locked inside and broke free? Or did it come to the sound? Either way, it was a Grimm and needed to be dispatched of quickly.

Qrow ran and transformed his sword into a scythe and sprinted full-force towards the creature, swinging horizontally as he did to slice it in half. The creature fell and that seemed like the only one. Summer most likely broke the glass to go look for food. Girl had an appetite of a man thrice her size, and still kept to her small, short stature. Hell, she'd eat Taiyang out of house-and-home half the time. Qrow put his scythe away and stepped inside the building, and sure enough, the cookie aisle was empty and a girl was standing at the end, stuffing her face.

"You trying to give me a heart attack?!"

"Mmm-mphf-mmh….."

"Finish your food before you speak, young lady."

"Gulp-Ahh. Sorry, Qrow. Got a bit hungry, as you can tell. Did I cause that much of a ruckus?"

"You shattered a damn window and a Grimm almost made it's way in!"

"Oops," she shrugged, shoveling more cookies into her mouth.

Sigh. This is gonna be a long week.

~-~ Present ~-~

"On our trip back home from a mission, our Bullhead landed us too far from the our LZ because the pilot was an idiot. He just found the nearest patch of grass and landed us there. Amateur. Could just barely land that thing. _I_ could land it better _drunk_ than he could. Still, better to be a couple hour's walk home instead in a coffin. It was the dead of night and we were on the road headed back to the cottage when-."

His eyes were gleaming with tears.

~-~Flashback~-~

"Grimm! Where did they come from?!" Qrow yelled as he was turned onto the next road, running to the nearest building; an old barn sat about ten miles from the house, abandoned years ago when the old owner moved to Vale for retirement. He opened the door as fast as possible, but it was so heavy, it barely opened enough for the two to slip in. Once inside, they tried to call for help, but the signal was dead.

"Crap, now what!?" Qrow yelled angrily as he readied his scythe.

"Oh, come on, Qrow! We can take 'em!" Summer said, almost as excited as ever.

~-~Present~-~

"We were surrounded in that damn barn and she decided to fight instead of wait it out. Either way, it was bad. We fought for what seemed like hours as they slowly began to flood the doorway. We retreated to the loft above, but it was too late-"

A small stream of tears could be seen running down his cheeks.

~-~Flashback~-~

"Shit, this hurts!" Summer howled in pain as they climbed the ladder to the upper loft.

"Hang in there, Summer! I'll carry you if I have to!"

"It's okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" She screamed in pain as she tried to go up the ladder. What the hell was this girl thinking?!

"I've gotcha! Hold them off!" She nodded, pulling out her rifle as the Grimm tried to climb the first ladder, firing as she saw them pop their heads just in view. Summer had an old military sniper and a sword as her weapons, but in times like this, it wasn't enough. She fired and fired until they got up to the top.

"It's ok, Summer. Stay with me!" Qrow sped through their pack to find bandages and meds for the girl, but it was too late.

~-~Present~-~

"She took a blow to the chest, and soon enough, her lungs began to fail. With every breath, she screamed. There was nothing I could do to help her. She needed a hospital, but the best we had was some alcohol, gauze, and painkillers."

He began to choke on every few words, trying to stifle the tears as best he could.

~-~Flashback~-~

"Summer! You'll be alright! Stay with me!" He begged her, stifling tears with every word. She wasn't gonna make it. 'She was so close to her kids, but not close enough. She was almost done, for God's sake! Why!? Why take her!? She did nothing to deserve this!' He began to weep heavily, like a child having his ball taken from him.

Summer looked up at him with her little eyes, beginning to close as her end came. She leaned close the him and whispered something to him just as she expired. Alone again.

~-~Present~-~

He wept heavily into his hands. Did this women mean this much to him? She was his leader and a friend, but after so long, the effect is this bad? Maybe she was something more to him?

"As she died in my arms, she gave me one last command as my leader. She told me to never lose sight of Ruby or Yang, as she didn't want them to suffer the same fate. She died telling me to keep my nieces from harm, but they always found a way to get into its nasty eye. I was there when they found the barn late one night trying to find her. I was there when you and Ruby were on that tower. I've been following you not because of my own sick, twisted mind, but the dying wish of a fallen friend. Now tell me, Jaune. What would Pyrrha want you to do? What would her dying wish be?"

Jaune, still in his emotionless state, looked at the man, covered in tears, in silence as dead as the night. 'What would her dying wish be? To live a good, happy life? No, she was more grounded than that. To keep his friends close and always stay strong? That was obvious, but anything else…'

"To avenge those who couldn't defend themselves, including herself. Those who are fallen should have their redemption, so she would want me to help those who couldn't do so themselves," he said. It was total bogus, made up in his head as a passage out of this conversation.

"Don't play dumb, Jaune. You're a hell of a lot smarter than that. If that's the only lie you can come up with, that's a damned shame." Qrow was getting tired and slow as he spoke. That damned whiskey was getting to him.

"It's the truth, Qrow!" he lied.

"Fine, have it your way! I'm going to sleep. See you all in the morning," he said as he leapt off the rock and walked around the corner. Jaune followed him, but when he turned the corner, he was alone. Alone again. 'Was he right?' he thought for a moment. 'Nah. He's just an old man trying to be wise. Nevermind a word he says,' he answered himself in his head.

"Jaune? What's going on out here? I heard some fighting and yelling."

He turned around and about jumped out of his armor, he was scared by Ruby as she questioned his whereabouts. "It's nothing but the wind, Ruby," he lied, hoping she didn't catch on. "Go back to sleep."

"Fine. See you in the morning," she yawned as she walked away.

As he looked at her and thought, maybe the man was onto something... 'No,' he commanded his mind, throwing it in the darkest area of his memory. 'He's wrong.'

* * *

 **So we get to see a bit inside Qrow's mind around Summer's death and pretty much explains his crass nature. He saw a friend of his die right in front of his eyes, and still hasn't recovered fully, but is doing leagues better than Jaune over Pyrrha.**

 **Next Chapter: Crushed By the Weight of the World**


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